Explained: What Is The Infection Caused By Brain-Eating Amoeba?

According to The Korea Times, a man in his 50s from South Korea passed away on Monday as a result of an infection brought on by the "brain-eating amoeba" or Naegleria fowleri. The man, according to the authorities, had just returned from Thailand, where he may have contracted an infection. Ten days after displaying signs of the uncommon but deadly infection, he passed away.

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The amoeba naegleria fowleri, which is typically found in warm freshwater and soil, causes the uncommon and dangerous infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

What is Naegleria fowleri?

Naegleria is a single-celled organism, and Naegleria fowleri is one of its species. Only a microscope can see the organism because of its tiny size. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claims that Naegleria fowleri can enter humans through the nose and cause infection. The amoeba was first identified in 1965 in Australia and is typically found in warm freshwater environments like hot springs, rivers, and lakes.

Since it is a heat-loving (thermophilic) organism, it thrives in lukewarm water. Warm freshwater bodies like lakes, rivers, natural hot springs, warm water discharges from factories or power plants, untreated geothermal drinking water sources, swimming pools, and other recreational facilities that aren't well-maintained can all contain it.

Naegleria Fowleri | Feedbyme

The human body is exposed to Naegleria fowleri through the nose. This typically occurs when someone dives or swims into a freshwater body of water and gets contaminated water in their nose. The amoeba enters the nose and travels up the nose to the brain, where it "eats" the brain tissue and causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a devastating infection that is almost always fatal.

What are the symptoms?

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Early PAM signs and symptoms may resemble those of bacterial meningitis. Initial symptoms can appear up to 12 days after infection, but they typically begin about 5 days after infection. Headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting are just a few symptoms that may appear.

In the future, as the symptoms worsen, patients may develop a stiff neck, confusion, inattentiveness, seizures, hallucinations, and even fall into a coma.

After the initial symptoms, the disease advances quickly and usually results in death in 18 days or less. In PAM, the fatality rate is very high. Only four of the 154 known infected people in the US between 1962 and 2021 survived, according to the CDC.

Is there a treatment?

Since the infection it causes spreads quickly, there is currently no effective treatment for Naegleria fowleri. A variety of medications, including amphotericin B, azithromycin, fluconazole, rifampin, miltefosine, and dexamethasone, are currently being used by doctors to try to treat it.

How can it be prevented?

The chance of contracting Naegleria fowleri infection can be decreased by taking a few precautions. Avoid diving into warm freshwater bodies and do not submerge your head in hot springs or other untreated water sources. In shallow, warm freshwater bodies such as lakes, ponds, and rivers, refrain from digging in or stirring up the sediment. For regular nasal washing and sinus washing, only use treated, safe water.